The seizure of an arms shipment in Yemen’s Marib province is troubling at a time when the conflict has shown no signs of abating. The driver of the truck transporting assault rifles says the consignment was destined for the Al Houthis fighting the internationally-recognised government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi. That’s more cause for alarm. For it shows that Iran has continued to arm the rebels in their ceaseless efforts to destabilise Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition has imposed a tight air and sea blockade to curb the flow of arms to the rebels, but this is proof that some shipments seemed to seep through the vast coastline. And that’s worrying. It will embolden the Al Houthis to continue their relentless efforts to wreak havoc in the country with the backing of their masters in Tehran.
Iran has poured funds and arms in a fervent bid to expand their hegemony in the region. The Al Houthis have not only used these weapons in the war in Yemen but also have launched Iranian-made missiles towards Riyadh before being kept out of harm’s way by the Saudi anti-missile systems. The missile parts recovered from Saudi Arabia showed Tehran’s involvement, and the Qiam missiles were supplied by Iran in gross violation of a UN resolution.
The Iranian interest has kept the war raging for nearly three years. And that has shattered the lives of Yemenis. More than 9,245 people have been killed and 52,800 injured since March 2015, according to the UN.
Malnutrition is rampant, and around 8.5 million people are at risk of famine, even as the country’s battered health system battles diphtheria and cholera. More than 3 million people have fled their homes, and another 2 million remain displaced. Their lives will never be the same again.
Yemenis yearn for peace and normality. For that, the country’s new special envoy, former British diplomat Martin Griffiths, must revive attempts to find a solution to the conflict. Bringing the Al Houthis to the negotiating table would be a start. But that’s not going to be easy. The militia has repeatedly spurned peace talks. It is clear that they don’t have the best interests of Yemen at heart.
They seem content to keep the fires of conflict burning. But that should not be allowed to continue. The United Nations should take the lead in reining in Iran’s ambitions in Yemen. When that happens, the Al Houthis will run out of steam. And peace can return to Yemen.
